Mastering Modern Sugar Flowers

Keep your sugar flowers in-demand and up-to-date. Cater to the event with basic, client-worthy and competition-level variations on three sought-after species.

Join master sugar artist Nicholas Lodge to create some of the industry's hottest sugar flowers in incredible lifelike detail. For each flower, you'll discover variations that grow in complexity along with your confidence. Progress through several styles of the oh-so-popular succulent. Create three types of striking ranunculuses, finishing with the most sophisticated version. Advance from a classic dahlia to a pompom dahlia and an intricate spider dahlia. You'll even learn to create realistic buds, leaves and calyxes for each flower, and receive tips on dusting and arranging them. Plus, get in-depth advice on pricing the sugar flowers you've made in class. Create fresh, fascinating sugar flowers for birthdays, weddings, competitions and more!

Lesson plan

39:24

Lesson 1. The Succulent

Meet world-renowned instructor Nicholas Lodge as you dive into your first contemporary gum paste creation, the succulent. Use an all-in-one cutter as Nicholas demonstrates best practices for handling gum paste, using floral wire and thinning and veining leaves.

18:12

Lesson 2. Succulent Variations

Bolster your succulent garden as you learn how to make mini succulents, perfect as cupcake toppers, before you move on to the molded variation, where you make your center and leaves using silicone molds for an even more naturalistic look.

36:40

Lesson 3. Finishing the Succulents

Make your succulent center by hand before cutting, thinning and wiring each leaf individually as you learn your final variation, perfect for clients looking for truly faithful reproductions. Nicholas then shows you how to add realistic botanical coloring and shine to all of your succulents.

41:38

Lesson 4. The Ranunculus

Master one of cake design’s “it” sugar flowers as you learn to make this luscious beauty two ways: using a blossom cutter and a center mold, as well as single-petal cutters and a semi-handmade center. Learn to thin, vein and attach each petal and color the centers for realistic detail.

Lesson 5. The Wired Ranunculus

Lesson 6. Finishing the Ranunculus

Your ranunculuses will look like they were just picked from the garden after Nicholas shows you how to add stems, calyxes, leaves and authentic coloring.

25:07

Lesson 7. Classic Dahlia

Start with a basic small daisy cutter and curve and vein petals to create detailed, feathery centers. Then, use a dahlia cutter to create layers of petals as you assemble this stylish flower from the outside in, using a custom foil former.

36:49

Lesson 8. Pompom & Spider Variations

Use sunflower blossom cutters to create layers of petals, all hand rolled into the signature pompom tube. In your final variation, the spider dahlia, you will combine many of the techniques you have learned — using a mold, creating tubed petals and layering blossoms — as you build this plush beauty.

23:15

Lesson 9. Finishing the Dahlia

Bring your blossoms into full bloom as you add calyxes, leaves and lifelike coloring.

36:06

Lesson 10. Arrangements

Fill out your creations with ribbons and other wired accents commonly used by florists; and learn how your succulents, ranunculuses and dahlias can be arranged together or separately for maximum effect. Finally, Nicholas leads a discussion on how to price your botanical masterpieces.

"I just wanted to thank you so very much for such an informative, detailed and entertaining class. Your three stages of flower techniques and increasing detail for the ranunculus (and all three flowers) is so useful. I have purchased all your classes (I live in Australia and cannot attend your classes), and I have learned so much from you. I was so happy when you released a new class. I thank you for sharing your knowledge and skills with us and for making sugar flower construction so accessible and achievable."
- Wendy FurzeAustralia

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Recently Enrolled

Lesson 1. The Succulent

Meet world-renowned instructor Nicholas Lodge as you dive into your first contemporary gum paste creation, the succulent. Use an all-in-one cutter as Nicholas demonstrates best practices for handling gum paste, using floral wire and thinning and veining leaves.

18:12

Lesson 2. Succulent Variations

Bolster your succulent garden as you learn how to make mini succulents, perfect as cupcake toppers, before you move on to the molded variation, where you make your center and leaves using silicone molds for an even more naturalistic look.

36:40

Lesson 3. Finishing the Succulents

Make your succulent center by hand before cutting, thinning and wiring each leaf individually as you learn your final variation, perfect for clients looking for truly faithful reproductions. Nicholas then shows you how to add realistic botanical coloring and shine to all of your succulents.

41:38

Lesson 4. The Ranunculus

Master one of cake design’s “it” sugar flowers as you learn to make this luscious beauty two ways: using a blossom cutter and a center mold, as well as single-petal cutters and a semi-handmade center. Learn to thin, vein and attach each petal and color the centers for realistic detail.

Lesson 5. The Wired Ranunculus

Lesson 6. Finishing the Ranunculus

Your ranunculuses will look like they were just picked from the garden after Nicholas shows you how to add stems, calyxes, leaves and authentic coloring.

25:07

Lesson 7. Classic Dahlia

Start with a basic small daisy cutter and curve and vein petals to create detailed, feathery centers. Then, use a dahlia cutter to create layers of petals as you assemble this stylish flower from the outside in, using a custom foil former.

36:49

Lesson 8. Pompom & Spider Variations

Use sunflower blossom cutters to create layers of petals, all hand rolled into the signature pompom tube. In your final variation, the spider dahlia, you will combine many of the techniques you have learned — using a mold, creating tubed petals and layering blossoms — as you build this plush beauty.

23:15

Lesson 9. Finishing the Dahlia

Bring your blossoms into full bloom as you add calyxes, leaves and lifelike coloring.

36:06

Lesson 10. Arrangements

Fill out your creations with ribbons and other wired accents commonly used by florists; and learn how your succulents, ranunculuses and dahlias can be arranged together or separately for maximum effect. Finally, Nicholas leads a discussion on how to price your botanical masterpieces.

The instructor

Nicholas Lodge, Instructor of Mastering Modern Sugar Flowers

Nicholas Lodge is the author of countless books on sugarcraft and one of the top instructors in the current generation of sugarcraft artists. A native of England, Nicholas founded the International Sugar Art Collection school near Atlanta, Georgia, where he teaches his signature sugar-flower classes. Nicholas also teaches at the ISAC's sister school in Tokyo, Japan, as well as at the prestigious French Pastry School's L'Art de Gateau program.

Ratings & reviews

Class rating

(28 reviews)

gluing the wire to the bud.

by barbara155416956 on March 27, 2015

Hi, loving your lessons.. can you please tell what type of glue I need to glue the wire to the bud. thanks Barbara xx

Hi, loving your lessons.. can you please tell what type of glue I need to glue the wire to the bud. thanks Barbara xx

Nicholas Lodge is so detailed....

by mercedes5836312 on March 14, 2015

I love how he demonstrates 3 or more different options for each flower! Time is definitely a hot commodity in our industry and he shows us how to save time without sacrificing quality. And how he improvises with creating his own way of cutting a strip of petals for the ranunculus bud is absolutely genius! I will definitely be watching more of his classes. Thank you!

I love how he demonstrates 3 or more different options for each flower! Time is definitely a hot commodity in our industry and he shows us how to save time without sacrificing quality. And how he improvises with creating his own way of cutting a strip of petals for the ranunculus bud is absolutely genius! I will definitely be watching more of his classes. Thank you!

Great

by UM_MARYAM96 on March 9, 2015

I loved the tutorial

I loved the tutorial

Excellent

by Carmen Alegre on March 7, 2015

Very clear instructions

Very clear instructions

As always.......

by Billie Neal- Schwab on March 4, 2015

a great class! Very helpful instructor who covers every little detail of steps involved. At first I thought one would be unable to make these flowers with anything but the NL brand products - after searching I see there are no other products comparable to this line so now I see why the products are use exclusively. With careful planning one could purchase the basics to use for a few flowers until able to order a wider variety of products. Do not hesitate to take any of NL classes.

a great class! Very helpful instructor who covers every little detail of steps involved. At first I thought one would be unable to make these flowers with anything but the NL brand products - after searching I see there are no other products comparable to this line so now I see why the products are use exclusively. With careful planning one could purchase the basics to use for a few flowers until able to order a wider variety of products. Do not hesitate to take any of NL classes.